A unique Powys donkey hire business whose animals take happy families for rides around Wales' favourite beaches is to be featured on an ITV programme.
Emma’s Donkeys, in Llanidloes, has been in the family of Emma Butters for five generations – going back over a century.
“I am the fifth generation,” said Ms Butters. “For over 100 years we have been on the prom in Aberystwyth and have recently taken on Aberdyfi beach as well.
However in the last few years Emma's Donkeys has expanded from being an attraction on the beach to being a therapeutic treatment.
“The donkeys are really therapeutic and they help with peoples mental wellbeing, said Ms Butters.
"It’s not only for children, it works for autistic adults and people suffering with poor mental health. We find they come out of their shell a lot more being around the animals.
“After Covid, when we were doing our sessions. Children came for free sessions to get them interacting together again and to get them hands on working with the donkeys.
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"We found that children would come and not interact with each other. But as soon as the donkeys were introduced, they were making friends and parents were making friends with the other parents and they were going off to the park together it was nice to see.”
The business is now more successful than ever and is run by Emma with help from her father John. With this, the years of hard work are getting attention nationally – with Emma’s Donkeys appearing on this week’s episode of Coast and Country on ITV Wales.
“A fortnight ago we had Hannah Thomas the host of Coast and Country with us. They wanted to speak to us because I am a fifth generation to run the donkeys,” added Emma.
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“We had then we had a local nursery come to our stables and had them film with us.
“They also came to Maes y Wennol in Llanidloes to see the visits we do at local care homes and did a big feature with that.”
The episode will be air on ITV Wales on Friday, July 7 and will be available on catch up on their streaming service ITVX.
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